Wednesday
Apr162008
How not to get a tech job
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 08:38AM Johnson’s First Law of Effective Supervision: Hire people who don’t need to be supervised.
We are filling two open tech positions in our district. Advice to applicants based on real events of the past few days:
- Don't have your mother call and ask for an extension on the application deadline. This may have worked with your English teacher but it doesn't work for anyone who may be your potential supervisor.
- Don't tell me you can't figure out the online application process. This is a tech position for which you are applying.
Just a couple little hints...
Any other tell-tale signs that a job application should be circular-filed?
Reader Comments (15)
I like to listen carefully to someone who can look at the value-add of technology or understand that there is some purpose other than strictly "technology existence" for having it around (ie that we do this for a reason, and everyone on my teams need to be about that reason).
Secondly, I look for issues that I may find troubling in respects to customer relations. The biggest and most frustrating problems I deal with as a director are people problems, not technical skill level problems. We are a customer service industry and we exist to support teachers and students and the mission of the educational organization.
I've learned over the years that investing in the process on the front end (asking lots of questions to seek to know the person better, carefully checking references, listening to your gut, ...) are good investments towards not having to do a lot of clean up later.
Good luck! There are some really good people out there.
We are beginning interviews today for a new tech. Some of the odd things we have encountered so far:
Googled applicant's address when name came up with nothing. Result - Dry cleaners in the middle of an empty pasture in the country. Applicant just replied with nervous laughter when asked about it. No excuse offered.I would have at least said "You know Google" or some trivial response.
Several applicants have pay histories that have been dropping ten to twenty thousand a year for the last decade or so. Hmmm.
Applicants with NO tech history.
Applicant applying for a low level tech job OR administrative position, whichever is available. (WTH?)
Emails thanking us for opening the position but never applying for it.
Several applicants who have bounced around cell phone companies for the last ten years as salesmen.
I am sure it will get more interesting as we begin interviews today. Hopefully, no mothers will attend with the applicants.
I had to laugh when you mentioned this to me Doug. It shall be quite an interesting process indeed!!
From our search: do NOT e-mail saying "How cn I aply 4 this jb?"; have some relevant experience (eg, when the description says "2-3 years experience in ___", do not ask "is it ok if I just got my degree from xxx college?")
Thank goodness it is an imperfect process or neither of us would be employed ;-)
Doug
Lazy gal,
U R rite.
Doug
Hi Scott,
Thanks. Sounds like the situation is the same all over. I get the sense that some people think that if they can do email, they can provide tech support!
Good red flags that you mention.
Doug
This isn't tech specific, but one time I was reading over resumes for a teacher assistant position and you wouldn't believe the number of resumes that were written IN PENCIL on NOTEBOOK paper.
Hi Karen,
Good one! Thanks for sharing it. (Although, I look at my old type-written resumes from the late 70s and shudder!)
Doug
re. point 2 .... I'd agree with you to a point, but when you have an electronic way of applying for a job that doesn't work ... our university has recently introduced Word based forms to apply for jobs - they used to expect everything to be hand written.
HOwever, the forms are more or less unfillable; text doesn't flow between boxes etc.
A colleague & I had to fill them up. We ended up sending in our best efforts - then between us re-created the form so it worked & sent it to them, telling them what we'd done, suggesting they have a go with both forms.
(We both got offered the jobs we wanted)
"I didn't get your return call as I forgot to recharge my cell phone."
Good one, Kenn.
Actually I've heard this one from techs AFTER they'd been hired!
All the best,
Doug
Last year I had a potential teacher candidate email any employees in our school asking if the administration could be trusted to tell the truth in an interview!
Now... that was an interesting interview I had the next day! (smile)
Poor guy didn't get the job, but not because of the pre-interview email.
Hi Andrew,
And how did your staff respond ;-)
Hmmmmm, I know we google our potential employees. I wonder how many potential employees google their future bosses? Something I'd not thought about before.
Thanks for the comment,
Doug
As far as my staff is concerned the cat is still in the bag :)
Thanks for the continuing anticipation.
Andy